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Discard Symonds set to haunt Roosters

Steve Jancetic

Sydney Roosters juniors are as rare as, well, hen's teeth, but it is one dressed in enemy colours threatening to spoil the party on Sunday night.

Essentially let go by the club to help accommodate big off-season recruits Sonny Bill Williams and Michael Jennings, Tom Symonds has found a home for himself coming off the bench for Manly - the Roosters' opponents in Sunday's NRL grand final.

Born in Paddington and playing his junior football for Bondi United, they don't get much more Roosters junior than Symonds.

But with the arrival of Williams and emergence of Boyd Cordner along with holdovers Aidan Guerra, Mitch Aubusson and Frank-Paul Nuuausala all ahead of him in the pecking order, Symonds knew his best chance of a top grade start lay elsewhere.

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And so he found a club willing to take him in just days before the start of the season in Manly - and he hasn't looked back since.

"I've always been confident in my own ability to play at this level," Symonds said after the Sea Eagles had upset South Sydney to advance to the decider.

"It was just a matter of two things - getting an opportunity to establish myself as a regular player and touch wood I haven't had too many injuries this year.

"A combination of those two things probably held me back the last few years and fortunately this year it's worked out a lot better for me."

So good that he will now have a chance at proving a few Roosters doubters they were wrong to let him go, even if it did help bring in one of the game's most dominant figures in dual international Williams.

But Symonds has nothing but goodwill towards the Roosters.

"Plenty of good mates there and some good memories, but in saying that, I've got no regrets about leaving," he said.

"It's been an awesome year, I'm really happy I made the move."

That move could yet result in a premiership ring.

With the Sea Eagles boasting a wealth of experienced finals campaigners, Symonds and fellow finals rookie Brenton Lawrence and Justin Horo have emerged as key planks in the side.

Symonds says the benefits of his teammates' experience was invaluable, as evidenced by the manner in which they turned a 14-0 deficit against the Rabbitohs on Friday night into a convincing 30-20 win.

"That's where experience comes in," Symonds said.

"It's something, for myself, learning from the older boys all year is they're pretty calm about things and having that calming influence allowed us to refocus."